Programming

Panel Information

SATURDAY
“The early Greek mythologists transformed a world full of fear into a world full of beauty” – Edith Hamilton
We have heard of Pandora and her box, Achilles and his ankle and Medusa and her hairdo, but how much do you really know? Join our panellists as they revisit the great Greek myths and retell them in modern and new stories for today’s YA audiences.
Adrienne Young, Bea Fitzgerald, Bryony Pearce, Joel Rochester- Chair 

“Take a look and you’ll see, Into your imagination” – Willy Wonka
The world around us is familiar but what goes into creating the environments we visit across the pages of our favourite YA books? This will be one of the discussion points amongst our guests in this much anticipated world building panel.
Alwyn Hamilton – Chair, Amber Hamilton, Jay McGuiness, Marvellous Michael Anson, Rosaria Munda

“I’d been a thriller reader all my life” – Lee Child
Entering the pages of a new book can be a thrill in itself but when the author has created a chilling tale for you to unravel the adrenaline levels increase. Our panel are here to tell you how they go about creating such stories, where they get their inspiration and what makes their thrill meter go up.
A.J. Clack – Chair, Cynthia Murphy, Lauren Wilson, Rachael Davis-Featherstone, E. Lockhart

“Royalty is completely different than celebrity. Royalty has a magic all its own” – Philip Treacy
The world of Romantasy takes a royal twist in the plots of the YA books from our list of panellists. Visit the royal courts, hear of princesses, kings and knaves and visit the fantasy worlds within. Our authors talk love, magic and monarchy.
A.B. Poranek, Katherine Webber – Chair, Kiera Azar, Lauryn Hamilton Murray

“Enjoy yourself whilst you read!” – Jaqueline Wilson
Join Alice Oseman in conversation with Juno Dawson as we celebrate the 10 years of the Osemanverse
Alice Oseman, Juno Dawson – Chair

“I believe in everything until it’s disproved” – John Lennon
To be mystical is to inspire a sense of spiritual intrigue, awe, and fascination and that is exactly what our panellists do in their new books. The fantasy genre provides a platform that allows us to discuss themes such as love, mental health, crime, academia and so much more. Visit the panel to hear all about it.
Amie Jordan, Andy Darcy Theo – Chair, Doug Naylor, Laini Taylor, S.F. Williamson

“But within every dystopia there’s a little utopia” – Margaret Atwood
The modern dystopian genre has been around since the 1920s and YALC have welcomed many of the authors of this topic over its 10 years. We continue with 2025s cohort of dystopian titles and look forward to hearing about the reflections we are seeing in today’s society across the pages of these popular books
Josh Silver – Chair, Kenechi Udogu, Moira Buffini

SUNDAY

“I kiss thee with a most constant heart” William Shakespeare
Romance books come in all shapes and sizes, and we have amassed a wonderful group of authors who have all written love stories but from across different viewpoints and genres. We have the rom com, the romantasy, the summer read, the cozy read, the cli-fi and the thriller. Which will be your favourite?
Harry Trevaldwyn, Jennifer Niven, Leon Egan, Sara Barnard – Chair, Tanya Byrne

“Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!” Dracula
What do you think of when you hear Gothic? Is it dark, supernatural, and macabre themes, often involving suspense, mystery, and a sense of unease? Do you say “it’s not for me” or “OMG I need to read this”? If it’s the latter, then this is just the panel for you. We’ve got vampires, romance, betrayal, ballet and more in this panel not to be missed.
Adalyn Grace, Amy McCaw – Chair, E. V. Woods

A Celebration of Black British YA in memory of Alex Wheatle
Bought to you by The Diverse Book Awards
In honour of the remarkable legacy of Alex Wheatle—author of the Crongton series and former YALC guest—we celebrate his life and the posthumous publication of his books with a heartfelt tribute to the enduring impact of his work, shared by authors inspired by his words and example.
Abiola Bello – Chair, Benjamin Dean, Dean Atta, Patrice Lawrence

“I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone” J.R.R. Tolkien
Hear from Romantasy authors and possibly add some new must reads to your TBR pile. In these books we escape the real life grind and fall in love with the characters as they fall in love with each other in truly amazing fantasy settings. What better way to spend a day than with a good book or some great authors discussing great books?
Anna Fiteni, Jen Williams, Molly X. Chang, Ova Ceren, Stevie Finegan -Chair

“It’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff” – Doctor Who
Time travel has always been a fascination, and we delve further into the possibilities with these books that all have a timey-wimey element. Hear about the challenges faced when writing alternative timelines and keeping the genre fresh when creating new stories.
TBC – Chair, Kika Hatzopoulou, Laura Steven, Oraine Johnson

“Art is the retelling of certain themes in a new light” – George Lucas
Inspirations can come from all walks of life, and we are massively influenced but what comes before. So much so that it can sometimes spark a story or encourage us to write our own versions or tell the tales using our own voices and that is exactly what our guests have done with their new books which they will be discussing in our “retellings” panel.
Asli Jensen, Cristin Williams, Jean Menzies, M. A. Kuzniar – Chair

“I want to use my celebrity for good” – Nyle DiMarco
With the world of celebrities, influencers and social media not showing any signs of slowing down, we are embracing it with this panel of authors who have all achieved huge success in this field as well as being authors in their own right. They discuss their journeys, their inspirations and all the gossip from the new books they have created.
Bill Wood, Busayo Matuluko, Eden Victoria, Rosie Talbot – Chair

Workshop Information

SATURDAY

This & Yap – Conversations about friendship, feminism and reading
Join bestselling author Holly Bourne for a fun chat about all things friendship, feminism and reading to celebrate ten years of the Am I Normal Yet? series and the brand-new editions. Featuring personality quizzes, cheesy snacks, the chance to connect with your book besties and an opportunity to ask Holly your questions!
Holly Bourne

TBC

How to be the perfect book boyfriend
Morally grey? Secret billionaire? Cinnamon roll? Sounds like a book boyfriend! Join YA author and TikTok personality Andy Darcy Theo for a celebration of YA’s swooniest book boyfriends. Andy will introduce the MMCs of his epic Descent into Darkness series, talk about his character design process, and invite attendees to create their own bookish BFs. To finish, prepare for the ULTIMATE face-off to crown YA’s BEST Book Boyfriend!
Andy Darcy Theo

Writing for stage & screen
If you are interested in discovering what it is like to write for stage or screen, and how that can be successfully combined with writing novels, this workshop might give you a taste of what each medium can offer. Run by award-winning playwright, BAFTA nominated screenwriter, and author of the Torch Trilogy, Moira Buffini, this workshop will suit all levels of experience
Moira Buffini

Opening chapters
Do you want to get started writing your own book? Are you facing a blank page with no idea how to get going?
In the Opening Chapters workshop we will look at:
– How to overcome our fear of the blank page
– How to write an amazing opening line
– How and when to introduce person, place and problem
– How to use a mini-adventure to show (not tell) the reader key information.
Bryony Pearce

Book club
Joel Rochester & Coco Omer

Werewolf

Join author A. J. Clack for a live game of Lie or Die: Blood Moon influenced by her YA thriller series Lie or Die. Perfect for fans of The Traitors

SUNDAY

How to write winning rom-coms for a YA audience
Join bestselling author Abiola Bello (Love in Winter Wonderland/Only for the Holidays/ The Love Dare) as she shares her top tips on writing the best swoony scenes, building tension, executing popular troupes and creating characters to fall in love with.
Abiola Bello

Twists, Tropes and TikTok: Writing Thrillers & Building Your Brand
Join BookTok sensation and debut author Busayo Matuluko for a lively session on crafting addictive YA thrillers and growing your online presence. Learn how to hook readers with twists – and keep them coming back with authentic, engaging author branding that breaks through the noise.
Busayo Matuluko

TBC

Building better worlds: World building 101
John Tarrow, author and creative director behind Britian’s Most Extraordinary Home, Talliston House & Gardens knows a thing or two about worldbuilding. After all he built his perfect magical world inside the UK’s most ordinary house. In this interactive workshop, he’ll show you his own unique way of approaching the vast task of  creating an entire other world – all the while focusing on the one thing that really matters: how the world is an important character in the entire story.
John Tarrow

Not Going to Plan: Poetry Workshop
Join Yoto Carnegie Shadow Medal and UKLA winner Tia Fisher for an interactive poetry workshop where creativity knows no bounds! Tia will help you explore the art of poetry and narrative verse, discover new techniques, and express yourself in fresh and imaginative ways using inspiration from her multi-award-winning YA novel, Crossing the Line and her latest novel Not Going to Plan. Unleash your inner poet, learn from the best, and create something truly memorable. Don’t miss out on this inspiring experience!
Tia Fisher

YALC quiz of the year
Test your YA book knowledge in this audience participation quiz hosted by possibly the ultimate YALC superfan Amy McCaw. Who will be the YALC quiz champion for 2025?
Amy McCaw

Dyslexia and me
Join Dan as he discusses his own struggles with dyslexia and the barriers he faced when writing a book and strategies to help build confidence. Together work to build sentences step by step to make something average, creative and interesting. Discover how Dan organises ideas to ensure the work is coherent and not muddle and use this to  edit together to make an amazing read.
Dan Batchelor

Industry & Agents Arena Information

SATURDAY

The wonder of libraries
Join bestselling author of The Wycherleys, and former librarian Annaliese Avery to find out how her experience amongst the bookshelves has impacted her journey as a reader and writer. In this session Annaliese will also share tales of other well-known library lovers in the book world and stories of literature’s most famous librarians and libraries!
Annaliese Avery

The author & agent relationship
Writers and Artists

The art of YA
A talk and question and answer exploring the art of designing covers edges and other elements for young adult books with special author guest.
Victoria Alyesa (Alyesasworld) & Katherine Webber

Breaking the Rules — The Rise of the Indie YA Rebel
From genre mash-ups to bold, banned-book-worthy themes, indie authors are shaking up the YA scene. In this panel, hosted by Literally (www.literallypr.com) director and InspiringIndies founder Helen Lewis, who has worked on almost 800 book marketing / author branding campaigns over the past two decades. join a line-up of InspiringIndies (who will also be appearing in the InspiringIndies zone) who’ve taken the road less travelled to publish their stories their way. Hear how they kept control, took creative risks, and built their own fanbases without waiting for traditional gatekeepers to say “yes.” Expect real talk about writing with freedom, making noise on social media, and finding success on your own terms. A must for readers who crave the unexpected — and writers who want to break the mould.
Helen Lewis – Lit PR #Inspiringindies

Careers in publishing 
Join Bath Spa University lecturers Megan Farr and Samantha Stewart for an hour-long workshop looking at the variety of jobs in publishing, how to develop the skills you need, and top tips on how to get started on a career in publishing.
Megan Farr and Samantha Stewart (Bath Spa University)

Going on tour
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a book publicist and preparing to go on an author tour? What do I need to think about? What should I pack in my bag? What goes into building an author schedule? What is publicity? Book publicist Jenna Petts will be giving the rundown of everything you need to be thinking about and what going on tour is REALLY like. Jenna was the book publicist at Gollancz for three years, has been on a myriad of tours and has worked with the likes of Leigh Bardugo, Garth Nix, Ben Aaronovitch, Victoria Aveyard, Brandon Sanderson and Joe Abercrombie. She is now at Penguin Michael Joseph working on SenLinYu, Devney Perry, Melissa De La Cruz, and is leading on all things SFF.
Jenna Petts

TBC

SUNDAY

TBC

Becoming a literary agent
Stevie Finegan

Libraries and the YA genre
This interactive, intertextual workshop run by the Youth Libraries Group will focus on using your library and collections to promote and expand the concept of the YA genre. The hosts have a wealth of experience in school, prison, public and university library settings. They are passionate about the reading experience as well as the links between reading for pleasure, wellbeing, empathy and educational attainment. Borrowing from libraries allows everyone to access the latest Tiktok specials, forgotten classics, hobbies, self-help and niche interest texts – for free!
Kelly Greenwood – Youth Libraries Group (CILIP)

TBC

Marketing your books and yourself
Olivia Jeggo

TBC

Indie Author Life — What They Don’t Tell You About Going Solo
Think indie publishing is all glitter and TikTok fame? Think again — and then get inspired. In this honest and uplifting panel, YA indie authors lift the lid on what it really takes to write, publish, and promote your own books. From juggling edits and algorithms to the emotional highs (and lows) of going it alone, this is the ultimate behind-the-scenes peek at the indie author hustle. Whether you’re dreaming of publishing your own book or just want to meet the people behind the paperbacks, this session is packed with insight, laughs, and plenty of plot twists and will be hosted by Literally (www.literallypr.com) director and InspiringIndies founder Helen Lewis, who has worked on almost 800 book marketing / author branding campaigns over the past two decades. join a line-up of InspiringIndies (who will also be appearing in the InspiringIndies zone).
Helen Lewis – Lit PR #Inspiringindies